RESIDENTS IN Powys and across the Shropshire border are being warned to avoid door-to-door sellers offering cut-price electricity for pre-payment meters.

Powys Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB) said people struggling to pay fuel bills had been conned. The sellers typically offer about £50 credit for £25, using their own key to add false credit to the pre-payment meter.

The process wipes all the information from the customer’s original key, including any existing credit.

But once the energy company is aware of the fraud the customer is required to pay again, this time for the full amount for the energy they have used.

The scam first came to light over the summer and since then energy companies have begun warning their customers.

Some customers believe they are being offered a genuine special offer while others know that the credit is not legitimate but find the offer too tempting to resist.

Muriel Ryan, Powys CAB manager, urged people not to fall for “too good to be true” offers.

She said: “These offers must seem very attractive to people already struggling with household budgets and rising fuel bills but, as with all too good to be true offers, this one will cost you more in the long run.

“With winter approaching and people’s energy use set to go up as they heat their homes we’re worried that what is already a problem might get worse.

“The bureau is concerned that some pre-payment meter customers are accepting doorstep offers of cut-price electricity credit only to have to pay the full price when the fraud is detected later on.

“The added fear is that this bogus offer, which is already catching out many households, may become more appealing as people’s energy costs rise through heating their homes this winter.

“We would urge people not to be tempted and forced to pay twice but to use a legitimate and trusted supplier like the Post Office or one offering PayPoint or PayZone, not a door-to-door seller.”

By Anwen Evans